For centuries, Jesus’ parables have been–and still are–extensively interpreted by those who impose Christian dogma and tradition on a parable told decades before Christianity per se even existed. There was no Christian tradition when Jesus was teaching his followers, and he was teaching regular people, not theologians. No wonder then that after two millennia, Jesus’ parables, coated with a confusing overlay of Christian dogma, still puzzle readers of the New Testament.
Opening the Parables is based on the premise that Jesus taught a singular spiritual truth which–once the clutter of others’ words and interpretations is cleared away–appears consistently in all his teachings, even in his parables. In the best-possible way, Jesus was a one-subject teacher (one subject, using various teaching techniques, both deductive and inductive), a one-sermon preacher (one message, told in various ways). Everything he taught or preached was about love in the infinite, here-and-now Kingdom of God. All his parables, proverbs, aphorisms, and direct statements teach one lesson: in the highest realm we can imagine, compassionate love is all that matters.
About the author
M. D. Hayden has an MDiv from Earlham School of Religion and is a retired teacher and minister living in Cincinnati.
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